Adjustable post



April 10, 1951 'c, E; MYERS 2,548,844

ADJUSTABLE POST filed March 21, 1947 v v 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 [W I/ V I l w l5 l5- l5b FIG.5

32 I H Ila I F 3% INVENTOR. g Li 33 Clarence E. M 06 Attorney Patented Apr. 10, 1951 ADJUSTABLE POST Clarence E. Myers, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, assignor to Summit Steel Products, Inc., Akron, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Application March 21, 1947, Serial No. 736,173 I 4 Claims.

This invention relates to adjustable posts of the type including a lifting jack and particularly useful for supporting or leveling sagging floors.

One object of the invention is to provide a longitudinally adjustable post of the character described having maximum substantially uniform load strength throughout the length thereof.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable post of the character described, including telescoping members and powerful screw-jack lifting means, in which is provided improved means for supporting one telescopic member Within another at varyingly extended positions of adjustment, and wherein said improved means is easily and quickly operable'by one person to adjust the members to various positions of adjustment without requiring a particularly high degree of skill.

Another object of the invention is to provide an adjustable post of the character described which utilizes a maximum of readily available materials of standard cross-section, such as tubu- Ear piping, and which for that reason is simple and economical to manufacture.

These and other objects of the invention will be manifest from the following brief description and the accompanying drawings.

Of the accompanying drawings:

Figure 1 is a front elevation, partly broken away, of an adjustable post assemblyembodying the features of the invention.

Figure 2 is a vertical cross-section, partly broken away, of Figure 1 in the corresponding position thereof.

Figure 3is an enlarged fragmentary view of the supporting connection between the telescoping members as shown also in Figure 2.

Figure 4 is an enlarged cross-section taken on the line 44 of Figure 1.

Figure 5 is a cross-section, similar to Figure 3, on the same scale, but illustrating the mode of applying or removing the segmental load-supporting ring which is a part of thepresent 'in vention. I

Figure 5 is the detail view of one of the end plates or caps for the post.

Figure '7 is a cross-section similar to Figure 3 illustrating a modified form of load-supporting ring construction.

Referring particularly to Figures 1, Zand 3, the numeral member or pipe within which is telescopically received a similar tubular element or pipe II to extend from an inner end I2 of the member in various positions of longitudinal adjustment. For

It designates an elongated tubular supporting said member in said positions of adjustment, the element II is provided with a plurality of longitudinally spaced grooves I3, I3 defining annular shoulders I 4 adapted to be in opposed relation to said inner end of member I0 and each groove being adapted to receive in seating relation therein a two-part segmental ring I5. This ring may have a reduced portion or rib 6, for engagement between member I0 and element II (see Figure 3), and defining a longitudinally outwardly presented annular seat H for engagement with the end I2 of said member. Thus the ring I5 is adapted to be insertable in a selected groove I3, segment by segment, according to the amount of outward extension of the member II desired. When the shoulder ll of the ring is properly seated against the inner end l2 of member I0, any load transmitted through element I I will be supported by the ring through engagement of annular seat I8 thereof with the annular shoulder I4 of said selected groove.

For a purpose to be described, each groove I3 may have a downwardly inclined face I3a from said shoulder I4 thereof, as shown, for substantially complemental seating engagement by a similarly inclined inner face I5.c of ring I5, as best shown in Figure 3. For a similar purpose, the inwardly presented marginal edge portion of said inner end of member ID may be chamfered or beveled at 20 for complemental engagement by a beveled annular face 2| of reduced portion I6 of the ring. The angularity of thecomplementally engaging beveled faces just described preferably is such as to provide maximum frictional resistance against relative rotational movement between member I0 and element II.

Selective engagement of the ring I5 in the various grooves I3 of element II provides limited longitudinal telescopicadjustment of the post. It is necessary, therefore, to provide a mechanical advantage device for finer longitudinaladjustment of the post and for floor leveling purposes. To this end, a substantial length of the upper end of element II is externally threaded at 2| (square threads being shown) for threaded reception of an internally threaded extension sleeve 22 of approximately the same general diameter as tubular member II Extension 22 is providedwith diametrically opposite apertures 23 in the wall thereof for reception of a suitable turning bar or tool (not shown) for threaded adjustment of the extension with respect to element II. For the purposes described the pitch of the threads referred to may be substantially less than the spacing between the grooves 13.

Caps or centering plates 24, 24 may be provided at opposite ends of the post, each cap being provided with an annular groove 24a, of concave cross-section for self-centering reception of either the rounded end 25 of extension 22 or the rounded end 2'! of tubular member l8. As the general diameters of extension 22 and member Ill are approximately the same, the two plates 24 are interchangeable.

In the operation or use of the post, as for leveling and supporting the floor of a building, the operator adjusts the post to approximate required length less than the distance between a supporting surface and an overhead joist or beam of the floor (not shown). That the operator holds the element H in approximate extended position with one hand, while with the other hand he inserts first one half la of ring 15, and then the other half I51), in the groove l3 selectively adjacent the inner end l2 of member ID. Next, he allows the element l l to drop by gravity, as from the position of Figure 5 to the position of Figure 3, in which the ring will be self-centeringly positioned with longitudinally oppositely disposed seats I! and [8 thereof in load supporting engagement with the correspondingly oppositely dis posed shoulders l2 and [4 of element l I and member [0, respectively. The two end plates 24 having been previously positioned at opposite ends of the post, the operator now inserts a bar (not shown) through the apertures 23 of extension 22,

and turns said extension on the threaded end 2| of element i l, to further extend the post to urge the top plate 24 against said joist or beam to raise said floor to desired level. This turning action on sleeve 22 under longitudinally compressive load through the post will not turn the element ll, because of the previously described wedging frictional engagement between the inclined annular faces of ring I5 and the complementally inclined faces of member l0 and element H. A slight clearance, indicated at 39 in Figure 2, provides a certain degree of self-adjusting angularity between element H and member during the floor leveling operations.

Referring particularly to Figure 7, there is illustrated a modified form of post with particular reference to the load-supporting ring. The modified ring construction includes a two-part annular member 3! of round cross-section, the ring halves 31a and 3lb being, as before, selectively insertable in one of a plurality of annular grooves 32 on an upper tubular element I la, corresponding to element II, which is telescopically adjustable within a tubular member Illa, corresponding to member [0. The inner marginal edge portion of member Ha may be beveled, as indicated at'33, to provide a conical seat for seating engagement by ring 3| to prevent accidental removal thereof while the element Ila is supported on member Illa. The installation of the ring 3| during floor leveling operations is otherwise substantially as previously described in connection with the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 to 6.

Other modifications of the invention may be resorted to without departing from the spirit thereof or the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable post of the character described, comprising a longitudinally extensible unit including an elongated tubular member and an elongated cylindrical element telescopically arranged within the same to have a portion of the length of the element extending longitudinally outwardly of an inner end of the member, said element having on the outer periphery thereof a plurality of separate, longitudinally spaced, annular grooves defining longitudinally inwardly presented annular shoulders, a circum ferentially segmented ring selectively engageable piece-by-piece within a given one of said annular grooves and having annular inner edge portions complementally engageable with said annular shoulder of the groove, said ring having annular seat portions engageable with said inner end of the member when longitudinal compressive load stress is applied to said unit in assembled condition with the ring in position in said given groove, said ring having annular flanged portions engageable inwardly between said element and the inner peripheral edge portion of said tubular member and thereby preventing removal of the ring segments from the unit in said assembled condition thereof.

2. An adjustable post of the character described, comprising a longitudinally extensible unit including an elongated tubular member and an elongated cylindrical element telescopically arranged within the same to have a portion of the length of the element extending longitudinally outwardly of an inner end of the member. an extension on one end of said unit includin a part relatively fixed thereon and a part longitudinally adjustably threaded on said fixed part, said element having on the outer periphery thereof a plurality of separate, longitudinally spaced, annular grooves defining longitudinally inwardly presented annular houlders, a circumferentially segmented ring selectively engageable piece-by-piece within a given one of said annular grooves and having annular inner edge portions complementally engageable with said annular shoulder of the groove, said ring having annular seat portions engageable with said inner end of the member when longitudinal compressive load stress is applied to said unit in assembled condition with the ring in position in said given groove, said ring having annular flanged portions engageable inwardly between said element and the inner peripheral edge portion of said tubular member and thereby preventing removal of the ring segments from the unit in said assembled condition thereof.

3. An adjustable post of the character described, comprising a longitudinally extensible unit including an elongated tubular member and an elongated cylindrical element telescopically arranged within the same to have a portion of the length of the element extending longitudinally outwardly of an inner end of the member, an extension on one end of said unit including a part relatively fixed thereon and a part longitudinally adjustably threaded on said fixed part, said element having on the outer periphery thereof a plurality of separate, longitudinally spaced, annular grooves defining longitudinally inwardly presented annular shoulders, a circumferentially segmented ring selectively engageable piece-by-piece within a given one of said annular grooves and having annular inner edge portions complementally engageable with said annular shoulder of the groove, said ring having annular seat portions engageable with said inner end of the member when longitudinal compressive load stress is applied to said unit in assembled condition with the ring in position in said given groove, said ring having annular flanged portions engageable inwardly between said element and the inner peripheral edge portion of said tubular member and thereby preventing removal of the ring segments from the unit in said assembled condition thereof, said segmented ring being in two semi-circular parts.

4. An adjustable post of the character described, comprising a longitudinally extensible unit including an elongated tubular member and an elongated cylindrical element telescopically arranged within the same to have a portion of the length of the element extending longitudinally outwardly of an inner end of the member, an extension on one end of said unit including a part relatively fixed thereon and a part longitudlnally adjustably threaded on said fixed part, said element having on the outer periphery thereof a plurality of separate, longitudinally spaced, annular grooves defining longitudinally inwardly presented annular shoulders, a circumferentially segmented ring selectively engageable piece-by-piece within a given one of said annular grooves and having annular inner edge portions complementally engageable with said annular shoulder of the groove, said ring having annular seat portions engageable with said inner end of the member when longitudinal compressive load stress is applied to said unit in assembled condition with the ring in position in said given groove, said ring having annular flanged portions engageable inwardly between said element and the inner peripheral edge portion of said tubular member and thereby preventing removal of the ringsegments from the unit in said assembled condition thereof, said segmented ring being in two semi-circular parts, said annular flanged portions of the ring and said annular inner edge portion of said member having wedgingly interengaging portions'operable by application of said compressive load stress to said ring to urge said ring parts radially inwardly toward full seating engagement of said annular inner edge portions thereof with said annular shoulder of said given annular groove.

CLARENCE E. MYERS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

